FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 8, 2017
Hoima & Kampala

REFINERY-AFFECTED PEOPLE REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE IN GOVT

RELOCATION CEREMONY SET FOR THIS WEEK

Over 80 refinery-affected families that were set to be relocated from the refinery area by
government this Thursday August 10, 2017 have resolved that they will not be relocated until
government fulfills promises it made to them in the October 2012 Resettlement Action Plan (RAP)
Report for the oil refinery project.

The families, whose land was part of the over 29 sq. km that was acquired by government in 2012
for Ugandas proposed oil refinery, were set to be relocated from Kabaale-Buserruka to
Kyakaboga, Hoima district at a function that was expected to be presided over by high-level
officials from the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Lands and other government agencies.

In a meeting held today August 8, 2017 at Nyahaira P/S in Hoima district, the over 80 families
unanimously resolved that unless government provides them with land titles, electricity, water
sources and access roads as promised in the RAP report, they will not allow to be relocated to
Kyakaboga on Thursday.

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 The meeting was attended by Ministry of
Energy officials including a
representative from the Directorate of
Petroleum, the sub-county leadership
including the L. C. 3 chairperson, the
Hoima district Community Development
Officer, officers of the oil and gas police
and the refinery-affected people. Pleas by
Ministry of Energy officials at the
meeting to reconsider the above
conditions fell on deaf ears.

Government officials at the meeting: Ms. Maureen Wadiyo, Community Liaison Officer, Oil and Gas from
Ministry of Energy (2nd L), Mr. Stephen Enachi who represented the Project manager, Petroleum
Exploration, Directorate of Petroleum (3rd L) and the L.C. 3 Chairperson for Buseruka sub-county, Mr. Ali
Tinkamanyire (Centre in yellow shirt)

The meeting, which turned riotous when the Ministry of Energy officials insisted on having a
separate meeting with the refinery-affected peoples leaders, was also attended by an official from
Strategic Friends International (SFI), the contractor implementing the RAP report of the refinery
project.

LOSS OF TRUST IN GOVERNMENT OVER BROKEN PROMISES

The [refinery-affected] people no longer trust government and the Ministry of Energy because it
has broken its promises on several occasions and has ignored the [refinery-affected] peoples input
into their relocation exercise.

In the RAP report, the Ministry committed that it would provide each of the persons who opted
for physical relocation with land identified on a case-by-case basis in the neighbourhood of the
refinery area.

The Ministry also committed that it would provide houses to each of the families and would not
relocate families in a special settlement as this would lead to their isolation.

The Ministry further committed that it would conduct a livelihood restoration exercise that would
involve supporting families with grants for farming and business, Mr. Christopher Opio, the
secretary to the Oil Residents Refinery Association (ORRA), says while quoting commitments
made on pages viii and ix of the refinery projects 2012 RAP report.

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He adds, However, Ministry of Energy broke its promises. Only 46, out of 83 families are getting
houses contrary to commitments in the RAP. In addition, land was not identified on a case-by-case
basis and a special settlement, which the [refinery-affected] people have consistently rejected
because it does not meet their socio-economic and cultural needs, was set up. Families are also yet
to get their land titles. Without land titles, they cannot be assured that the property government
wants to hand over this Thursday is theirs.

GOVT FAILURE TO ENABLE EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

BLAMED
Meetings in May and December 2016 with the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC),
Ministry of Energy and SFI respectively did not result in the refinery-affected peoples requests
for houses and land titles for all families, compensation by government for over 20 families still
awaiting payment, a disturbance allowance of 30 percent to families facing relocation as provided
for by the 1998 Land Act (as amended) and a better housing arrangement being met.

At the May 25, 2017 meeting with the UHRC, [refinery-affected] families felt that while the
UHRC had taken the initiative to address their concerns by organising the meeting with the
Ministry of Energy at our request, the meeting was tipped in favour of the Ministry of Energy.

We presented our grievances and pointed out how best they could be addressed in a manner that
taxpayers money would be saved. However, at their own discretion and with little regard for our
requests, the Ministry of Energy directed on how it would address our concerns. This angered the
[refinery-affected] people, Mr. Opio notes.

Some of the refinery-affected peoples concerns that were not addressed included failure to buy
land on a case-by-case basis, failure to provide land titles for all the families, failure to provide
houses for over 47 families then that opted for physical relocation (some families dropped out of
the physical relocation scheme because they were uncomfortable with the houses government
plans to hand over this Thursday) and failure to compensate the over 20 families that rejected low
compensation.

To date, these failures still stand but the families were willing to be relocated on condition that the
bare necessities of housing for all (some female-headed and other vulnerable households are not
getting houses), land titles, water, electricity and access roads as promised by government were
met. These conditions are yet to be met.

The Ministry of Energy officials said that they will process and provide the land titles in two
months from Thursday, the day of resettlement. They also said that one borehole was available
and that they would upgrade the access roads and extend electricity from Buseruka to Kyakaboga
but the people can no longer trust them.

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They refused to listen to their promises and the people turned riotous, pushing us out of the
meeting, when the government officials insisted on having a separate meeting with ORRA
leaders, Mr. Opio reports.

The meeting ended with the refinery-affected people vowing that they will not participate in the
handover ceremony of the houses. They also said that they would not relocate until government
fulfills its promises as captured in the refinery projects RAP report.

*****************************************************************************

ENDS

For more information, contact:

Ms. Diana Nabiruma

Senior Communications Officer, AFIEGO
dnabiruma@afiego.org or +256 782 280073

OR

Mr. Christopher Opio

General Secretary, ORRA
opiochristop@gmail.com or +256 779 983101